FE aside, how far do you drive?

[bdesj]

Consuming and emitting less, as well as spending less are all nice, but honestly I`m trying for better F.E. more for fun than enything else. Kind of like racing, I guess, but with a lower budget and not so much adrenaline. I find the whole thing fascinating all the way from simple tricks like putting an automatic transmision in N at stop lights up to the far out aero mods that some members manage. But I almost feel like I`m missing out on half my "turns" by not driving more (yes, that sounds really stupid). Does anybody else ever harbor desires to drive more and fill up more often?

Originally Posted by redyaris

If my average speed is 60km/hr then I spend 500hrs/year driving and if I average 50km/hr then I spend 600hrs /year driving!

Wow, I never ran those numbers before. There`s definitely something to be said for speed.

[brucey]

Over the summer, I was at about 2000 miles a week. (Job)

Now I'm about 200 miles a week, probably less than that unless I need to leave town.

[rbrowning]

"Does anybody else ever harbor desires to drive more and fill up more often?"

NO!

I drive 110 miles to work per day. I fill up twice a week. No, I don't want to do it any more.

But I agree with the "game" mentality. It helps me keep my sanity for 2 hours every day.

[j12piprius]

Originally Posted by bdesj

putting an automatic transmision in N at stop lights

What is the difference in f/e from being stopped in drive vs neutral?

I see this as being the 3rd stage of a three step process for me, related not only to driving but also my life. I have mostly driven way too fast through my life, ironically to be safer and get away from bad drivers, but probably mostly because I didn't want to waste time sitting in a car. I tried to focus on keeping the speed down, which helped.

This changed a few years ago, precipitated by a typical 35 mile drive to the next town where I passed 103 cars and only 3 cars passed me, while I felt that I was driving conservatively. This got me to thinking that, well, maybe I was still driving too fast, and it could be this wasn't as safe as I'd thought.

It seemed to me that the less cars that I passed and passed me, the safer I'd be, so on the way back I tried to stay in the space way between cars, and neither passing nor driving so slow that cars would pass me. Amazingly, I managed to drive 10 miles in the zone of having no car beside me!!! And I kept count, so if I passed a car, I'd let another go by me, so the balance came out evenly. Since then I have always been aware of being in this zone or space while I'm driving, though there are still times that I get impatient and whip around someone or a group of cars, then get back in the zone. This has definitely helped me to relax while driving and to not get so impatient - because even if everyone stops, I'm still right there in that zone between cars.

I see the focus on f/e hypermiling as the 3rd stage for me, where I am always conscious of the f/e and therefore always driving as conservatively as possible with the fuel (and my life). I have done this in the past at times, doing the pulse and glide or EOC on long hills or when almost out of gas, and invariably have always turned my car off at stops, having worn out a few ignition switches through the years. I used to have to drive for every little thing that I'd do, and now drive as little as possible, though I'm interested in getting a better f/e equipped car for taking out of town trips, or if I decide at some point to take a trip 'round the country.

[gone-ot]

...an engine idling against the torque converter is under load which increases its fuel consumption.

...slipping the automatic transmission into neutral at a stop is one of the "new tricks" Detroit has discovered and is implementing in new cars...GM does this in the 6T40 6A tranny in the Cruze.

[Arragonis]

When not travelling for work I do about 100-150 miles per week, 80% of which are urban / suburban but not places buses go. I get 4-5 weeks out of a tank which is taking me about 600-650 miles at the moment.

I used to have a job which involved travel and I miss it sometimes. Until I remember the days of getting up before 5 and not getting home again until after 8 with 5-600 miles and a full days work in between.

[cfg83]

bdesj -

57142 miles in 3 years (from 2008 to 2010)
~19047 miles per year
~366 miles per week
~52 miles per day

Don't be unhappy if you can't play "the game" because you're healthier for it. "The game" is a way of dealiing with an otherwise bad situation.

CarloSW2

[moorecomp]

110 miles per day. Last year 26926 miles.

[BHarvey]

When talking of wanting to drive more to get sharp on the techniques that make you more efficient, I can agree that it would. But, good instrumentation will help be the little 'reminder' that you sometimes need to remember you are trying to be more efficient.

I am constantly refusing to go somewhere even if I need to until another trip is needed to combine with it so I won't waste fuel on single short trips.

[320touring]

250 miles a week commuting, and anything from 50-200 miles on top running about.

I reckon it averages out at 350/week, so 18200 miles a year- excluding any continental driving holidays